Ex-Senator sentenced to 7 years in prison over Kalashnikov plant’s case in Venezuela

Lefortovo district court of Moscow has sentenced to seven years imprisonment in a penal colony the former Russian Senator from the Belgorod region and ex-director general of Stroyinvestinzhiniring SU-848, Sergei Popelnyukhov.

He was found guilty of the theft of more than 1 billion rubles at the construction of plants producing Kalashnikov automatic rifles in Venezuela.

“The court finds that the guilt of the defendant has been proved. The defendant shall be found guilty of fraud,” the court statement citing the judge’s verdict reads.

Sergei Popelnyukhov’s defense team intends to appeal the verdict. The defendant’s lawyer, Vladimir Averin, points to the fact that the judge “wrote 350 sheets of paper for the day and a half” and demands to cancel the verdict.